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Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Keywords

Lupinus angustifolius, Plant breeding, Breeding programmes, Western Australia

First Page Number

44

Last Page Number

49

ISSN

0021-8618

Abstract

Over the past seven years the narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) has become a significant crop plant in Western Australia.

The present crop varieties are the result of a long-term breeding programme started in 1954 with the aim of producing a broad-acre crop from a plant well adapted to our light soils but with a number of characteristics which precluded its use for cropping.

To an original sweet narrowleafed lupin, soft-seededness, nonshattering pods, early flowering and a distinctive appearance to distinguish it from bitter types were progressively added.

The author of this article, Dr. J. S. Gladstones, began lupin breeding at the University of Western Australia in 1954. In 1971 the programme was transferred to the Western Australian Department of Agriculture, when Dr. Gladstones joined the Department as Senior Plant Breeder.

For his work on legume breeding and research, Dr. Gladstones was recently awarded the Farrer Medal for 1975.

The lupin breeding programme was made possible by cereal growers' contributions to the Western Australian Wheat Industry Research Committee and the Soil Fertility Research Fund. Its success is an outstanding example of the dividends which can be returned from industry contributions to agricultural research.

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